A federal judge handed down a preliminary injunction in favor of three same sex couples living in Tennessee on Friday. The three couples, all of whom were married in other states where their unions are legal, sued the state for the right to have their marriages recognized in Tennessee. U.S. District Court Judge Aleta Trauger's injunction only pertains to the three couples named in the suit.

“At this point, all signs indicate that, in the eyes of the United States Constitution, the plaintiffs’ marriages will be placed on an equal footing with those of heterosexual couples and that proscriptions against same-sex marriage will soon become a footnote in the annals of American history.”

The judge's temporary decision will take effect while the courts consider the lawsuit. Tennessee bans the recognition of same-sex marriages both by statute and by a voter-approved Constitutional amendment.

News reports are focusing on the Germanwings pilot's possible depression, following a familiar script in the wake of mass killings. But the evidence shows violence is extremely rare among the mentally ill.